After former US President Trump’s statements about the duty of assistance within NATO, Germany, Poland and France are demonstratively moving together. Measures against Russia were also agreed upon at a three-party meeting.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged Germany’s solidarity with Poland and criticized US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s threats to European NATO partners. “Any relativization of NATO’s guarantee of assistance is irresponsible and dangerous. And is solely in Russia’s interest,” said Scholz in Berlin after a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Poland’s security is also our security,” emphasized Scholz.
Scholz: There is no end to responsibility
Tusk said Trump’s words were “a cold shower.” He pointed out that Poland now spends around four percent of its economic output on defense. The NATO states’ voluntary commitment is two percent, which, according to Scholz, Germany will adhere to this year “and forever.” The Chancellor also acknowledged Germany’s responsibility for the crimes of the Second World War: “There is no end to responsibility before history.”
The talks took place as part of a three-way meeting between Germany, Poland and France. Before coming to Berlin, the Polish Prime Minister first stopped in Paris and met President Emmanuel Macron there. Both advocated further European support for Ukraine. Tusk also called for closer European cooperation on ammunition production. He emphasized that the European economy is eight times larger than Russia’s.
Fight against Russian disinformation and cyberattacks
The three-way meeting of the countries also took place at foreign minister level. A joint approach against Russian disinformation and cyberattacks was agreed upon. A joint warning mechanism between the three countries against Russian troll attacks is planned, said French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in La Celle-Saint-Cloud near Paris after a meeting with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and his Polish colleague Radoslaw Sikorski.
Germany, France and Poland want to take joint action against Russian disinformation and cyberattacks.
The three countries had fallen victim to the same Russian destabilization strategy and wanted to defend themselves together. In particular, the European elections and the Olympic Games in Paris in the summer are possible next targets of such attacks. “Russia is trying to destroy European unity,” said Séjourné after the meeting of the so-called Weimar Triangle. Almost 200 fake news sites were discovered. These instruments of disinformation should be disclosed transparently in the future. “We are ready to act to defend our democracy.”
Aim to revive the Weimar Triangle
The Weimar Triangle was founded in 1991 as a discussion format by the then foreign ministers of the three countries in Weimar. One goal of the meeting was also to boost foreign policy cooperation between France and Germany with the new pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“We are meeting at a dramatic moment, because we have war again in Europe, we again have a dictator who has given himself the right to decide who can be a people and who cannot,” said Poland’s Foreign Minister Sikorski. Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to use lies and demagoguery to subjugate Ukraine and destroy the EU and NATO. “We cannot allow Putin to win this war,” Sikorski said. “We must fulfill our obligations to Ukraine.”
“Stand on the side of Ukraine”
“If Putin believes that our strength is dwindling and our support is waning, he is completely mistaken,” emphasized Baerbock. The Europeans have been standing by Ukraine for two years and will continue to do so for as long as necessary.
The question of how support for Ukraine can become even more effective also depends on how closely France, Poland and Germany act together militarily in the next few months – and if it comes to that, in the next few years.
Stefanie Markert, ARD Paris, tagesschau, February 12, 2024 9:55 p.m